諸經要集 16.35

16.35

At that time, the Buddha said to the bhikṣus: 'Monks, if you wish to know who the tortoise that entered the water back then was, it was myself. The garland-maker was Māra Pāpīyān. Even at that time he wished to deceive and confuse me, but he could not catch me; how then could he succeed now in seeking to deceive me again?' The Buddha further told the bhikṣus: 'I recall that in the past, in the great ocean, there was a great water-dragon (kūrma / alligator-like dragon). The dragon had a wife who was pregnant. Suddenly she conceived a craving to eat the heart of a monkey. For this reason her body grew emaciated and jaundiced, and she tossed and turned, trembling and restless. At that time, the male dragon, seeing his wife's body so emaciated and colourless, asked her after seeing this: "Virtuous and noble one, what ails you? What food do you crave? I have not heard you asking me for food; why are you like this?" At that time, the female dragon was silent and gave no answer. Her husband asked again: "Why do you not speak to me now?" The wife replied to the husband: "If you can grant my wish according to my heart's desire, I will speak. If you cannot, why should I speak in vain?" The husband answered again: "Just tell me and see; if it is reasonably obtainable, I will use skill-in-means to seek it and ensure you get it." The wife then said: "I now crave to eat the heart of a monkey. Can you obtain it or not?" The husband then replied: "What you require is an exceedingly difficult matter. Why is that? I live in the great ocean, while monkeys dwell in mountain trees; how could it be obtained?" The wife said: "What can be done? If I do not obtain this thing, the foetus will surely miscarry, and before long I fear my life will come to an end." At that time, her husband spoke to his wife again: "Virtuous and noble one, be patient for a while; I am now going to seek it. If this matter succeeds, its joy will be beyond words, and both you and I shall be joyful." Then the dragon emerged from the sea and went onto the shore. Not far from the shore was a great tree called udumbara (in the language of the Sui, "water-vow"). At that time, on the tree, there was a great monkey at the top of the tree picking fruit and eating it. Then the dragon, having seen the monkey sitting in the tree eating the fruit of the tree, gradually approached beneath the tree. Having arrived, he immediately consoled him with pleasant words, and inquired after the monkey: "Well done, well done! Vāsiṣṭha, what are you doing in this tree? Are you not working hard and suffering distress? Is seeking food easy to come by, and are you free of fatigue?" The monkey replied: "Indeed, noble one, I am not suffering great distress at present." The dragon spoke to the monkey once more: "Staying in this place, what do you eat?" The monkey replied: "I am in the udumbara tree eating its fruit." At that time, the dragon spoke to the monkey again: "Seeing you now brings me such great joy, filling my whole body so that I cannot contain myself. I wish to make you my good friend, and we shall mutually love and respect each other. Take my advice: why must you stay here? Moreover, the fruits on this tree are few, not plentiful; how can you delight in this place? You should come down and follow me; I will carry you across the sea. On the other shore there is another great forest, abundant in flowers and fruits of many kinds of trees." The monkey asked: "How can I reach that place? The seawater is deep and vast, exceedingly difficult to cross; how could I manage to cross it?" At that time, the dragon replied to the monkey: "I will carry you on my back and take you across to the other shore. Now you need only come down from the tree and ride upon my back." At that time, because the monkey's mind was inconstant, petty, and foolish, his heart was delighted. He descended from the tree, mounted the dragon's back, and was about to go with the dragon. The dragon gave rise to this thought within his mind: "Excellent, excellent! My wish is fulfilled." He then intended to take him to his own dwelling place, and together with the monkey he sank beneath the water. The monkey asked the dragon: "Good friend, why have you suddenly submerged into the water?" The dragon then replied: "My wife is pregnant; she conceived such a longing to eat your heart. For this reason I have brought you along." At that time, the monkey had this thought: "Alas, how extremely ill-fated I am now, bringing about my own destruction! By what expedient means can I escape this imminent disaster and not lose my life?" He thought again: "I must deceive the dragon." Having had this thought, he spoke to the dragon: "Noble and good friend! My heart was left behind on the udumbara tree; I deposited it there and did not bring it along. Why did you not speak the truth at that time, noble one? Had I known that you needed my heart, I would have brought it with me then. Good friend, turn back and release me; after I take the heart and get it, I will return." At that time, the dragon, having heard the monkey's words, both of them emerged together. The monkey saw that the dragon was about to come out onto the shore of the water. At that moment, the monkey exerted all his might, vigorously and swiftly leaping and bounding with great muscular strength down from the dragon's back, and went up onto that great udumbara tree. The dragon remained below and waited for a short while. Seeing the monkey lingering and not coming down, he spoke to him: "Close and good friend, come down quickly! Go with me to my home." The monkey remained silent and refused to descend the tree. Seeing that the monkey had not come down for a long time, the dragon spoke a verse:'